Duplex envelope



Oct. 19,1926. E 1,603,415

' J. SAWDON I DUPLEX ENVELOPE Filed July 11, 1921. 2 Sheets-Sheet l E$411252 CLASS LETTER II/N HERE 12 02 7 JOSE/9k fiawciml m 7 Oct. 191926.

DUPLEX ENVELOPE Filed July 11, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Gil Patented TitJOSEPH SAWDON, 0F QUDM'CY, tumors.

TDUPLEX ENVELOPE.

Application filed July 11,

The invention relates to duplex. envelopes of that kind in which onecompartmentis provided for first class mail matter, such as a letter,and in which another compartment, preferably larger and more roomy, isprovided for mail matter less than first class, whereby theentireenvelope, with both kinds of mail matter therein, and with separatepostage attached for each class of mail matter, will be delivered as oneiece of mail, thereby avoiding separate deliveries of the letter andthings mentioned in the letter. and at the same time avoiding thenecessity of paying first class postage on the enclosures as well as onthe letter itself.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide an improvedconstruction and arrangement whereby the entire duplex envelope is madefrom a single paper blank.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features ofconstruction tending to increase the general eficiency and thedesirability of a duplex envelope of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends the inven-' tion consists in mattershereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawingsin which- Figure 1 is a front or face view of a duplex envelopeembodying the principles of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the back or rear side of said envelope, with aportion broken away to bring certain other portions into view.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 33 in Figure 2.

Figure lis an inside view of the single paper blank from which theentire duplex envelope is made.

Figure 5 is a. perspective showing said blank partially folded.

Figure 6 is a liorizontal'section on line 6-6 in Figure 1.

As thus illustrated the invention comrises a rectangular paper, section1 which forms the front wall of the envelope, and which is provided atone end with an adhesive flap 2 and at the other end witha nonadhesiveflap 3, the latter flap being preferably larger than the other flap. Therectangular section 4: forms the back or rear wall of the envelope-andis rovided with suitable adhesive 5 along the e ge thereof. Therectangular section 6 forms the inner wall of the smaller compartmentofthe envelope, and is provided at each end thereof With- 1921.- SerialNo. $83,6d5.

as shown in Figure 1, when the blank is folded. The slit 1O is'so formedthat a flap 11 is formed which lfangs inside of the wall 6, and ifdesired a strip of adhesive paper 12 may be applied to the inner surfaceof the fiapll and the inner surface of the wall 6, as shown in Figure 2,to strengthen the construction, but this strip may be omitted, andwhether it is used or not the entire duplex envelope is practicallyformed from the single paper blank. After the wall 6 is folded andsecured in place, the wall 4 is then folded over and secured by itsadhesive 5 to the wall 6 and to the exposed portions 13 of the frontwall 1, thus leaving the larger compartment still open at each end. Thenthe flap 2 is folded over and secured by its adhesive to the back of theenvelope. The flap 3 is left loose and may be secured in place by afastener 14, after the third or fourth class mail matter is inserted inthe larger compartment. After the letter is inserted in the smallercompartment "formed between the walls]. and 6, the flap 8 is thensecured by its adhesive 9 to the front of the envelope. The smallercompartment can be defined or outlined by the. lines 15 on the front of,the

envelope, if this is desired. A place is indicated at 16 for the firstclass postage for the letter, and another place is indicated at 17 forthe stamps necessary for the third or fourth classmail matter, or forany other mail matter less than first class. the arrow 18 can be appliedas shown, to indicate where the letter is inserted, and the hand 19 canbe applied as shown to indicate where the letter is found in theenvelope structure.

It will be understood, of course, that the larger compartment can beaccessibly closed in any suitable or desired manner, but this ispreferably done by means of a flap which is integral with'the front wallof the envelope. The front of the envelope as a whole "is, of course,the side, upon which the address is attached and upon which the Ifdesired,

postage is applied. The important thing, of'course, is that the twocompartments are permanently fastened together while being transmittedthrough the mails, as it makes little difference, income ways,whether'the compartments are together before being deposited in themails, or after the envelope is opened by the person to whom it isaddressed, for the main object is to prevent separation of the firstclass mail matter from the third or fourth class mail matter while theyare being transmitted through the mails. The integral formation of thewalls of the two compartments, however, means that the two compartmentsare never separated after the blank is folded and reduced to envelopeform, but the construction whereby the duplex envelope is formed from asingle paper blank may be of any suitable character, as the invention isnot limited to the exact con struction shown and described.

It will be seen that the flap 8 is on the address side of the envelope,and the address side of an envelope is the face or front thereof. Theflap 8 is immediately above the space or place for the address, and is adistance below the upper edge of the envelope. Also, the ends of theenvelope extend a distance beyond the ends of the small compartment, atthe right and the left of the latter, and the small compartment iswithin the area of the large compartment, as it does not extend outsideof such area at any point. Sealing of the small compartment, in themanner explained, does not in any way seal or close the largecompartment, as the two compartments are independent of each other,notwithstanding that the walls of the two compartments are formed from asingle blank as explained. It will be seen that when the flap 8 issealed in place on the address side of the envelope,

the small compartment is thereby closed everywhere against accessthereto from the outside of the envelope, as on the outer surface of theenvelope the slot 10 is the only means of access to the smallcompartment. Therefore, when the small compartment is closed, there isnothing on the face or address sideof the/envelope to permit access tothe small compartment. More specifical- 1y, of course, when the section6 is glued at its ends, as at 7, it follows that the small compartmentis absolutely sealed everywhere, when the flap 8 is secured in place.so-that no access may be had to this small compartment either outside orinside the envelope. When the envelope is made up, it will be seen thatit only comprises three walls, or three thicknesses of paper, as thewall 6 is a single wall interposed between the two compartments, and iscommon to both compartments. Therefore, the matter inserted in the smallcompartment is necessarily inserted edgewise, against the wall of thelarger compartment, and the contents of the small compartmentnecessarily occupies this position against the wall of the largecompartment before any attempt is made to seal the small compartment.When the envelope is ready fog use, thus formed from as ingle blank,there is only a single thickness between the two compartments, thusminimizing the amount of paper reuired, and the thickness of theenvelope. t will be seen that the outside wall of the small compartmentextends the full length of the envelope in order to provide necessarywall material for the large compartment as well. By this is meant thatat least some portion of the wall extends the full length of theenvelope. In other words, it is better to have the outside wall of thesmall compartment formed by wall material which is necessary, at leastto some extent, as wall material for the large compartment as well, asthis simplifies the cutting of the blank and is more satisfactory in themanufacture of duplex envelopes of this character, and is moresatisfactory in use. It will be seen, therefore, that the smallercompartment is formed in part by the section 6 which is of less areathan the envelope, and that the smaller compartment is sealed by theflap 8 which is spaced a distance from all four edges of the'envelope,and which is sealed against the face or address side of the envelope,after something has been inserted in the smaller compartment.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A duplex envelope made from a single blank and having a relativelylarge and a relatively small compartment, said relative- 1y smallcompartment being formed by a sheet applied to the inner surface of thefront wall of the envelope, said sheet having a loose flap, saidenvelope having a slot in its front wall through which said flapprojects outwardly, so that after the letter is inserted through saidslot into the relatively small compartment the flap may then be sealedby causing it to adhere to the outer surface of the envelope, said smallcompartment being disposed adjacent to the lower edge of the largecompartment, and

an inner retaining strip back of said flap to secure the upper edgeportionof the sheet to the front wall of the envelope.

2. A compartment enevelope comprising a front section having a slot, aback section, a partition flap integrally connected to one of saidsections and forming a compartment lope for accessibly closing the largecompartment, and a flap on the face or front side of the envelope forsealing the small compartment, all formed from a single paper blank, I g

4. A duplex envelope comprising means to form a relatively largerectangular com-.

partment, and means including a section of less area than the envelopeto form a relatively small compartment at the address side of said largecompartment, with said small compartment sealed everywhere againstaccess thereto from outside the envelope ex cept where this smallcompartment is left open at one outside edge thereof, with the outsidewall of the small. compartment extending the full length of the envelopeto form wall material for the large compartment as well, and with only asingle thickness between the one compartment and'the a single paperblank.

5. An envelope structure as specified in claim 4, said flap for sealingthe small compartment being disposed immediately above the place for theaddress and a distance Q below the upper edge of the envelope and itbeing necessary to break or detach the sealin flap to remove thecontents thereof.

6. i n envelope structure as specified in claim 4, having means tooutline the smaller compartment. on. the address side of the envelope,on the" said wall which extends the full length of the envelope, withthe place for the address within said outline, and with said flap forsealing the small compartment disposed immediately above the place forthe address and a distance below the upper edge of the envelope, so thatthe contents ofthe envelope are inserted horizontally in one end of thelar com:- partment and downwardly at the top of the small compartmentand whereby sealing-of b the small compartment'does not in any way sealor close the large compartment.

' 7. In a duplex envelope, providing a plureality of I compartments,including a smaller compartment withinthe area of a larger compartment,a sealin flap disposed a distance from all four e ges of the envelope,

for sealing the "snaller compartment, said flap and the walls of thelarger compartment being integrally connected together, said fla beingsealed upon the face or address side of the envelope, this face or ad--dress side being smooth and seamless ex cept for the provision of saidflap thereon.

8. In a duplex envelope, roviding a lurality of compartments, inc udinga sma er compartment within the area of a larger compartment, a'sealinflap disposed a distance from all four e ges of the envelope, forsealing the smaller compartment, said flap and the walls of the largercompartment being integrally connected together, and an integral flapfor the larger compartment, the front wall of the envelope upon whichthe address is placed forming the outer Wall of the smaller compartment,so that the smaller compartment is inside the larger compartment.

' 9. A duplex envelope composed of asection of material folded on itself.to afiord two outer walls and an intermediate wall,

the terminal portion of the intermediate wall constituting a flap, andone of the outer walls being provided with a slot through which the flapis projected in position to be sealed against the outer surface of saidwall, the remaining outer wall being sealed along wall constituting aflap, and the outer wall which is immediatelyconnected to theintermediate wall being provided with a slot through which the flap isprojected in posi-' tion to be sealed-against the outer surface of saidwall, the remaining edges of said intermediate wall being sealed againstthe proximate inner surface of said slotted outer wall,-and theremaining outer wall sealed around two of its free edges" bein to a 0rdan enclosure for inferior class mail matter.

' JOSEPH sawnou.

